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Can Sox Continue Power Surge

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FENWAY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman liked what he saw from his team’s offense Monday night.

Rutschman undoubtedly hopes to see similar production when the Red Sox face the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game series.

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Boston collected 16 hits during Monday’s 11-1 victory over Arizona, including seven doubles and two home runs. Everyone in the starting lineup for the Red Sox had at least one RBI, and the team went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

“That’s what this team is capable of,” Rutschman told NESN after the game. “Every guy stepping up. It’s a big thing that (Boston interim manager Chad Tracy) said when we were on that huge win streak. Everyone stepping up huge every night (and) it’s a different guy every night.

“Just seeing everyone do their thing was awesome. It was a fun game to be a part of. First game at Fenway (since he was traded from Baltimore). Can’t ask for a whole lot more.”

Rutschman is 3-for-23 since joining the Red Sox, but two of those hits came during Monday’s win.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You gotta stay with the process. It’s nice to put some good swings on balls and get rewarded.”

Arizona played without second baseman Ketel Marte, who was placed on the restricted list Monday after reportedly not showing up at Fenway Park. Following the game, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said he wasn’t sure if Marte will be with the team Tuesday.

“He didn’t show up (Monday) and he was put on the restricted list,” Lovullo said. “That’s as much as I know right now. I’m sure in time we’ll start to uncover and unravel some information. I knew there was something going on (Monday) when I met with (the media), but I still believed he was going to be here. He just didn’t show up.

“I was doing my best to reach out to him and there was very little coming back … We’re going to figure out a way to work through this.”

Lovullo also said it was the first time Marte hasn’t shown up – or hasn’t shown up on time – this season.

“The players are gritty,” he said. “They rally around one another. I know there was a lot of discussions about it at different points in time in the clubhouse today. There was a lot of curiosity. We care for Ketel. Once we knew he was OK I think everybody started to relax and focus on the game.”

Boston’s Willson Contreras belted his career-high 25th home run of the season Monday.

Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (8-10, 4.44 ERA) will attempt to quiet the Boston bats Tuesday. He’s 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox.

Left-hander Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.25 ERA) is scheduled to start for Boston. He has a 1-4 record and a 6.91 ERA in 11 career appearances (eight starts) against Arizona.

–Field Level Media

Diamondbacks Aren’t Forever

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Mickey Gasper and Willson Contreras each hit a solo home run as part of a 16-hit attack that propelled the Red Sox to an 11-1 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.

Caleb Durbin and Ceddanne Rafaela each collected three hits for the Red Sox, who received two RBIs from both Gasper and Wilyer Abreu.

Boston’s Brayan Bello (5-6) held the Diamondbacks to one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of relief to collect the win. Arizona starter Mitch Bratt (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits in three innings.

The Diamondbacks placed second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list before the game. The team did not give a reason for the move, but multiple outlets reported that Marte did not show up to Fenway Park.

The Red Sox grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Eli White that drove in Durbin and a Nick Sogard double that scored White.

It was 3-0 after Durbin drove in Contreras with a single in the third, and the Red Sox took a 4-0 lead when Sogard scored on a Rafaela double in the fourth.

Boston added three more runs to extend its advantage to 7-0 in the fifth.

Contreras led off with his 25th home run of the season. Adley Rutschman scored on Andruw Monasterio’s sacrifice fly and Durbin came home on Gasper’s groundout. Two of the three runs were unearned, as the Diamondbacks committed two errors in the outfield after the homer.

Ildemaro Vargas scored on Geraldo Perdomo’s sac fly to make it 7-1 in the top of the sixth, but Boston responded by scoring twice in the bottom half of the inning. Abreu’s single drove in Rafaela, and Abreu stretched the lead to 9-1 by scoring on a Rutschman double.

Gasper led off the seventh with his first homer of the year, and Abreu’s RBI single drove in Rafaela later in the inning to cap the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Pirates Take Series From Red Sox

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Nick Yorke had three RBIs while playing in his first game in exactly three months, while Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe each drove in two to help the host Pittsburgh Pirates secure an 8-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.

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Despite a 2 1/2-hour rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings, the Pirates secured the series victory and have won three of their past four as they attempt to stay alive in the National League postseason race. Boston has split its past four games after losing five in a row.

Yorke was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday and played for the first time since May 16 before he was optioned to the minors. Yorke’s two-run single off Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval (1-2) in the third put the Pirates ahead 6-0 and highlighted a five-run inning for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates struck for two runs in the bottom of the first after Esmerlyn Valdez hit the first of his two doubles. Reynolds and Lowe followed with back-to-back RBI singles that put Pittsburgh ahead 2-0.

The same trio kickstarted the big third inning in the same fashion. Valdez followed Jared Triolo’s single with a double, and Reynolds and Lowe followed with run-scoring singles. After Yorke’s big hit, Henry Davis pushed Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-0 on a sacrifice fly.

Connor Wong, who finished with two hits, gave the Red Sox some hope when he belted a three-run home run off Pirates reliever Hunter Barco in the fifth inning. Barco was also recalled from Triple-A on Sunday after Pittsburgh optioned right-hander Wilber Dotel and infielder Jack Brannigan.

Kirby Yates (1-5) replaced Barco in the seventh when play resumed and pitched a scoreless inning.

Sandoval gave up seven runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out six over four innings. Raymond Burgos, who was recalled Sunday from Triple-A Worcester, pitched four innings — and remained in the game even after the rain delay — as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk, and had one strikeout.

Dexter’s Báez Sets MLB Debut HR Mark

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Report) – As the visiting St. Louis Cardinals search for a series victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon, it will be tough to top a historic day at Wrigley Field.

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In St. Louis’ 8-4 road win on Saturday, the organization’s No. 3 prospect, Joshua Baez, became the first player in major league history to hit three home runs in his debut. Baez grew up in Boston and attended Dexter-Southfield High School in Brookline where he was named Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year.

“It’s unreal,” Baez said. “I really can’t put it into words, but it’s honestly just a dream come true. I was just trying to stay calm, embrace it and just try to have fun.”

When the dust settles from Baez’s incredible introduction, a win on Sunday would mark the first time since 2022 that the Cardinals clinched both road series at Chicago.

Hunter Dobbins (2-3, 3.40 ERA) has pieced together a pair of decent starts in August but received zero run support across 11 1/3 innings in two losses. Last time out, Dobbins went five innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out six and walking three in a 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The Cardinals offense scored five runs after Dobbins’ exit.

In his previous start, Aug. 4 on the road against the New York Yankees, Dobbins turned in a quality start but lost 2-0. He allowed two earned runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The 26-year-old right-hander has walked three batters in each of his past two starts and needed 97 pitches to get through five frames against the Phillies.

“I guess the one thing I can take away is that I competed,” Dobbins said of his last outing. “I’ve got to find a way to execute pitches in all counts. You’ve got to stay ahead of hitters, pound the strike zone early and just stay in attack mode.”

Dobbins, who was traded from Boston in December as part of a package that sent Willson Contreras to the Red Sox, has faced the Cubs twice in his career — both outings this year. He allowed five runs in nine innings in two appearances against Chicago. On May 31, he earned a save in the 5-1 win after throwing 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits. On July 27, he pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits in a 7-4 loss.

In a 10-4 start to August, the Cubs have won three consecutive series and seek their fourth in a row. Chicago, which was on the wrong side of history on Saturday, allowed its most runs since an 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 26.

“He hit three different pitches for home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of Baez’s debut. “He had a great game. He just beat us, for sure.”

Edward Cabrera (5-4, 5.10) will look for better success against Baez and the Cardinals on Sunday when he returns to the major league mound for the first time in nearly two months. The 28-year-old right-hander was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on June 24 following a lackluster stretch. Cabrera posted an 8.35 ERA in four June appearances before the injury.

The offseason acquisition in a trade with the Miami Marlins made three minor league rehab appearances, going 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA across a start with Double-A Knoxville and two with Triple-A Iowa.

“Edward pitched very well,” Counsell said of Cabrera’s last minor league start, which saw him hurl five no-hit innings against the Double-A Rocket City on Tuesday. “The line indicates that.”

Cabrera is 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis.

–Field Level Media

–Field Level Media

Sonny, Chance of Ks

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Sonny Gray threw seven scoreless innings and Wilyer Abreu’s second-inning solo home run put the Boston Red Sox on course for a 4-0 shutout of the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Gray (15-3) set a career-high for wins and leads the American League in that category. Gray struck out seven and walked one on 86 pitches to lead the Red Sox to their second win in three games following a five-game losing streak.

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Abreu’s home run with one out in the second off Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-5) was one of three hits in the game. It tarnished a mostly-solid start for Jones, who struck out seven, walked two and gave up just the one run on four hits over five innings.

Abreu rapped his second of two doubles off Pittsburgh reliever Luke Weaver to lead off the ninth. Abreu was then thrown out at third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Caleb Durbin. But Jarren Duran blooped a single to left field and Andruw Monasterio smacked a changeup from Weaver into the left center field gap to drive in two insurance runs.

Two batters later, Jahmai Jones drove in Monasterio with a single.

The Pirates’ dimming playoff hopes took another hit with the loss as they failed to put together three consecutive wins following a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

Pittsburgh’s best chance against Gray came in the fifth when it loaded the bases on singles by Jake Mangum, Rafael Flores Jr. and a walk to Spencer Horwitz. Gray recovered by striking out Brandon Lowe to end the inning.

Mangum and Esmerlyn Valdez each had two hits to lead the Pirates, who finished with six hits. All were singles, though, and Pittsburgh left five runners on base.

The verdict was the Red Sox’s 13th shutout this season and the 13th time the Pirates have been shut out.

The Red Sox had two strong chances to add to their early lead against Jones, but left runners on second and third in both the third and fourth innings. They failed on three chances with less than two outs.

Gray is tied with Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez for the major league lead in wins.

–Field Level Media

Flores, Jr.; Lowe Power Pirates

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rafael Flores Jr. and Brandon Lowe each homered to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-4 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

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Flores, who had two three-run home runs during Thursday’s 13-1 triumph over Miami, hit a solo home run in the second, and Lowe smashed a Jovani Moran changeup for a three-run home run in the fifth.

Flores collected three hits in the victory. Pittsburgh also received two hits and three runs from Bryan Reynolds.

Bubba Chandler (6-8) limited Boston to two runs on four hits in five innings to earn the win. He walked two and struck out five.

Nick Sogard had two hits and two RBIs for Boston, which lost for the sixth time in its last seven games.

After Flores opened the scoring with his fourth home run of the season, Pittsburgh took a four-run lead by scoring three times in the fourth. It was 3-0 after an Esmerlyn Valdez double drove in Reynolds and Ronny Simon, and Flores followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Boston starting pitcher Jake Bennett (7-6) was pulled after four innings. He allowed four runs on five hits, walked one and struck out six.

Boston trimmed its deficit to 4-2 in the fifth. Andruw Monasterio hit an RBI single to make get the Red Sox on the board, and Nick Sogard drove in Jarren Duran with a sacrifice fly to center field for Boston’s second run.

Lowe’s home run extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-2.

Sogard drove in Duran a second time with an RBI single that trimmed Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-3 in the seventh, but the Pirates got the run back in the bottom of the inning when third baseman Caleb Durbin made a wild throw to first that allowed Reynolds to score.

Masataka Yoshida’s single in the ninth with two outs drove in Eli White to make it 8-4. At that point, the Pirates replaced Kirby Yates with Mason Montgomery, who struck out Adley Rutschman with two aboard to secure the save.

–Field Level Media

Blue Jays Prolong Red Sox Woes

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TORONTO – (Wire Service Report) – Rookie Brett Bateman had two RBIs on two hits Tuesday night and the Blue Jays defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox, 5-3.

Charles McAdoo, Ernie Clement and Myles Straw added RBIs for the Blue Jays, who have won the opening two of a four-game series. Chase Lee (1-0) allowed a single and two walks over 1 2/3 innings to get the win. Spencer Miles pitched around a double in the ninth to earn his first career save.

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Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela hit solo homers for the Red Sox, who have lost four straight.

The Red Sox manufactured a run against Dylan Cease in the third. Andruw Monasterio led off with a walk, took second on Nick Sogard’s single and advanced to third on Masataka Yoshida’s fielder’s choice grounder to first. Rafaela lofted a sacrifice fly to center.

Toronto tied the game against Patrick Sandoval (1-1) in the bottom of the third. Nathan Lukes singled with two out, McAdoo walked and Bateman sliced a double to center just beyond the reach of a diving Rafaela.

Boston regained the lead when Abreu clubbed a 2-2 slider into the Red Sox bullpen in right field.

Rafaela led off the fifth with a home run, cranking a first-pitch sweeper to center.

Cease allowed three runs, five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.

Toronto tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with two unearned runs. Andres Gimenez led off with a single and Straw reached first base on third baseman Caleb Durbin’s error. Lukes executed a sacrifice bunt and McAdoo stroked a sacrifice fly to right. Bateman hit an RBI single to center.

Toronto took the lead in the sixth. George Springer walked, took third when Alejandro Kirk grounded a single past shortstop and scored on Clement’s fielder’s choice grounder to second.

Sandoval finished the sixth, allowing eight hits, four runs (two earned) and three walks with four strikeouts.

Straw scorched an RBI double to left against Seth Martinez in the eighth after Springer singled and Gimenez was hit by a pitch.

Boston reinstated catcher Adley Rutschman from the injured list and he was 1-for-3 with two walks.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Facing Adversity (Again)

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TORONTO – (Wire Service Report) – The Toronto Blue Jays could be catching the visiting Boston Red Sox at the right time tonight in the opener of a four-game series. The Red Sox, who have been the hottest team in the majors for more than a month, are coming off two consecutive home losses to the lowly Athletics over the weekend. The 7-3 loss on Saturday snapped Boston’s nine-game winning streak, which came not long after a 15-game win streak from July 3-22.

It is the first time since June 30-July 1 that the Red Sox have lost two in a row.

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They still have won 27 of their past 32 games as they embark on a seven-game road trip following a 4-2 homestand.

“It’s been a minute,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said after a 4-3 loss on Sunday. “When the (15-game) winning streak ended, I was like, ‘We knew that was going to happen eventually,’ and I think in this case you probably knew this was going to happen eventually.

“You’re not going to win every single series the rest of the year. … You move on, tip your cap and move on to Toronto.”

The Red Sox are scheduled to start Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA) in the series opener. The right-hander is 4-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 17 career games (16 starts) against the Blue Jays. In two starts against them this season, he is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA.

Fellow righty Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.96) is expected to make his second start with the Blue Jays on Monday after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs. In his Toronto debut on Wednesday, he allowed three runs on six hits in four innings against the Houston Astros, striking out four and walking two.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA in eight career starts against the Red Sox.

Boston will be facing a Toronto team which has little time to recover from a three-city, seven-game road trip which concluded over the weekend in Philadelphia.

While the Blue Jays finished the trip with a 4-3 record, they were forced to put a lot of tread on their tires with four of the games going to extra innings — including Sunday’s 7-6, 12-inning loss to the Phillies which prevented a Toronto sweep.

The Blue Jays are still holding out hope of making a serious run for the third American League wild-card spot, which is currently occupied by the Texas Rangers. The Blue Jays are 3 1/2 games behind Texas but also have four teams between them and the Rangers (plus the Seattle Mariners, who are currently tied with Toronto).

“Everybody still believes, from our front office all the way to our locker room,” Toronto designated hitter George Springer said. “We’re one good stretch away from being right where we want to be.”

“This could be our season,” added Ernie Clement, who had an RBI double on Sunday. “If we play really, really well, it’s going to put us in a great position. We’re just going to show up every day and try to take care of business.”

The series in Toronto is likely to see the Red Sox debut of catcher Adley Rutschman, who was obtained in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 3. Rutschman won’t play on Monday — instead having a workout day — but is expected to debut over the four-game set.

“Make sure he comes out of (the workout) OK and we’ll assess him after that,” Tracy said.

Rutschman has been on the injured list since July 19 with inflammation in his left wrist.

–Field Level Media

 

A’s Snap L Streak, End Sox Win Streak

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Gage Jump allowed two runs and struck out 11 over six innings, while Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte homered as the Athletics 7-3 defeated the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

Jump (5-7) gave up six hits and walked two for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game losing streak and won for only the second time in 14 games. Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton had two RBIs each, while Jacob Wilson went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

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Andruw Monasterio drove in two runs for the Red Sox, who had their nine-game winning streak halted. It was just their fourth loss in 31 games.

Red Sox starter Jake Bennett (7-5) gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin singled in a run in the ninth for the Red Sox, who loaded the bases with two out against Hogan Harris. But Harris induced Eli White to line out to center and picked up his 10th save.

The Athletics took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Heim’s two-run single off the green monster in left field.

Walton’s pinch-hit two-run ground-rule double in the sixth extended the lead to 5-2.

The Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the sixth but Jump fanned Jarren Duran and Connor Wong.

Soderstrom’s solo homer in the seventh made it 6-2. His 19th home run of the season came on a drive into the right-field stands, estimated at 413 feet, off of reliever Raymond Burgos.

Bolte hit his fifth home run to center in the ninth, also off of Burgos.

Boston took a 2-0 lead in the first on Monasterio’s two-out, two-run single. It stretched his hitting streak to 10 games and on-base stretch to 20 games. The Red Sox stole three bases in the inning, two by Jahmai Jones and one by Durbin.

The Athletics got on the board to make it 2-1 in the fourth on Brian Serven’s soft infield RBI single in front of the plate with two out. The tapper scored Wilson — who led off the inning with a double — from third base.

The Red Sox outhit the Athletics, 10-8. Jones went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Nick Sogard went 3-for-4.

Boston left a dozen men on base and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

–Field Level Media

Peyton Tolle Fans 14 in Win

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Payton Tolle recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts and Jarren Duran homered to help the Boston Red Sox extend their winning streak to nine games by beating the visiting Athletics 13-1 Friday night.

Duran’s home run, his 16th of the season, came against starting pitcher Jack Perkins and ignited a five-run second inning. It was his third home run in the last five games.

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Tolle (7-6) didn’t allow a baserunner until Tyler Soderstrom led off the fifth with a home run. It was his 18th homer of the season and cut Boston’s lead to 9-1.

Tolle was pulled after six innings. He allowed one run on two hits and didn’t walk a batter. Raymond Burgos picked up the save by pitching three innings of hitless relief.

Perkins (2-8) gave up five runs on five hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out three. The Athletics have lost their last nine games.

In addition to Duran’s home run, Boston’s five-run second featured back-to-back doubles from Anthony Seigler and Jake Rogers that increased the lead to 3-0 and a two-run double from Wilyer Abreu that drove in Rogers and Nick Sogard to make it 5-0. Abreu collected two of Boston’s 15 hits and drove in three runs. Boston added four runs in the fourth. After Rogers scored on an errant pickoff throw by Hayden Juenger, the Red Sox received an RBI single from Abreu, an RBI double from Masataka Yoshida and an RBI single by Andruw Monasterio.

Sacrifice flies from Caleb Durbin and Yoshida increased Boston’s lead to 11-1 in the sixth.

It was 12-1 after Rogers scored from second on Ceddanne Rafaela’s infield single in the seventh. Rafaela stretched the lead to 13-1 when he scored on Durbin’s double later in the inning.

The Athletics were limited to two hits in the loss. In addition to Soderstrom’s home run, Max Muncy had an infield single in the sixth.

–Field Level Media